Sree Sreenivasan, an internationally acclaimed journalist, digital media executive and educator, will join Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to lead a new professional education and skills training initiative.
Starting on July 1, Sreenivasan will serve as managing director of CronkitePro, which will address the training needs of journalism and communications professionals, or their companies, and eventually deliver a suite of offerings for non-degree seekers. He will be based at the ASU Barrett & O’Connor Washington Center in Washington, D.C.
An accomplished digital media expert, Sreenivasan has trained journalists, entrepreneurs, companies, nonprofit organizations and executives around the world. He is currently the inaugural Marshall R. Loeb Visiting Professor of Digital Innovation and Audience Engagement at Stony Brook University, named for the influential editor of Fortune and Money magazines. Sreenivasan will join the Cronkite School on July 1.
Sreenivasan is CEO and co-founder of Digimentors, a digital and virtual-events consulting company. He has hosted multiple shows during the pandemic, interviewing more than 600 experts, physicians, nurses, and scientists to combat misinformation and provide accurate information about the global crisis. He has served as chief digital officer of three major institutions: Columbia University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the City of New York. He was named the world’s most influential chief digital officer in 2014 by CDO Club.
“I’ve long been an admirer of the Cronkite School for its innovative approaches to journalism education,” Sreenivasan said. “To join the faculty and to lead CronkitePro is an honor that far exceeds what I could have dreamed of growing up watching Walter Cronkite tell us ‘and that’s the way it is.’”
In 2015, Fast Company named Sreenivasan one of the 100 most creative people in business, and in 2010, he was named one of the 35 most influential people in social media by the Poynter Institute.
“The challenges facing our society mandate that we provide access to journalism and communications skills to as many people as possible, in as many modalities as possible,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr, dean of the Cronkite School.
CronkitePro is inspired by ASU’s Learning Enterprise, which designs programs to serve learners at all stages in life in various disciplines to address workforce needs and societal challenges.
“Sree Sreenivasan, who is a well-known and connected practitioner with immense expertise and experience, is the perfect person to lead Cronkite’s efforts in this space,” Batts said. “We look forward to collaborating closely with industry partners and other individuals to design programming and offerings that address practical and specific needs delivering the excellence expected from Cronkite and ASU.”
Sreenivasan worked on the faculty of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism from 1993 to 2013 as a professor of professional practice, teaching courses on new media, web design, and social media in the practice of journalism, as well as media entrepreneurship. In 2005, he was named dean of students, overseeing student-oriented programs, and was later appointed dean of student affairs, supervising admissions, student services and career services.
In 1994, Sreenivasan co-founded SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association. In 1999, he was the founding administrator of the Online Journalism Awards for ONA, the Online News Association.
About CronkitePro
The Cronkite School’s acclaimed “teaching hospital” model of education has been adapted to offer professionals hands-on instruction and real-world training under the guidance of top industry leaders. Cronkite allows professionals in media and communications to accelerate their careers and grow their skill sets. Through events and programs, attendees will gain new skills and stay up to date on the latest industry trends. Learn more about CronkitePro and register for the upcoming training notifications at cronkite.asu.edu/cronkitepro.
About the Cronkite School
The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University is widely recognized as one of the nation’s premier professional journalism programs and has received international acclaim for its innovative use of the “teaching hospital” model. Rooted in the time-honored values that characterize its namesake — accuracy, responsibility, objectivity, integrity — the school fosters journalistic excellence and ethics in both the classroom and in its 13 professional programs that fully immerse students in the practice of journalism and related fields. Arizona PBS, one of the nation’s largest public television stations, is part of Cronkite, making it the largest media outlet operated by a journalism school in the world. Learn more at cronkite.asu.edu.
